Tillandsia Spotlight: Straminea Air Plant
Native to Peru and Ecuador, the Tillandsia straminea is a very striking plant. These plants can grow to be quite large and will grow into a very impressive clump over time.
Tillandsia straminea flower (Photo from Stan, a customer)
The Tillandsia straminea has velvety soft silvery green leaves. Take care when moving or transporting this plant, it leaves are very delicate and can be broken quite easily. It is a xeric plant, so it will thrive in areas of low humidity and drier overall conditions. These plants also prefer more sun than the majority or air plants. We recommend misting rather than soaking these dry-loving plants.
One of the most intriguing and unique things about the Tillandsia straminea is that it is one of the few air plants that produce highly scented flowers when in bloom. These blooms are white and purple flower bracts that emit from a beautiful inflorescence.
Tillandsia straminea flower ( photo from Stan, one of our customers!)
A different variety of the Tillandsia straminea is the T. straminea thick leaf, which is a plant that has thicker and wider leaves than the normal T. straminea. This variety will grow very large and clumps particularly well.
T. straminea plants grow well hanging from a wire, where their leaves can cascade down and form clumps over time.
To care for a Tillandsia straminea air plant, make sure that it is displayed or mounted in an area will bright light. Mist or quickly dunk these plants instead of soaking. They will also like lots of air movement and more dry conditions like other xeric species.
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